By Jeremy Duda | Arizona Capitol Times
Republican critics of Clean Elections have renewed their long-term goal of convincing voters to repeal Arizona’s system of public campaign funding and are hoping that some extra money for K-12 education will help sweeten the deal.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved SCR1001, which would refer the issue to the 2016 ballot. A similar measure has been proposed in the House.
If the measure makes it to the ballot, voters will be asked to repeal the Citizens Clean Elections Act they approved in 1998, except for a surcharge on court fines and penalties. The money in that fund, which contains about $19 million, would shift to the Arizona Department of Education.
Sen. Steve Pierce, R-Prescott, who sponsored the measure, said voters should get to decide whether they want the money to go politicians’ campaigns or to schools.
